6800 or 6600gt?

[mmx]

I've decided to upgrade my ati 9600xt to either 6800 or 6600gt, which one is best for a p4 3.0?

 

[PhlashFoto]

6800

 

[bjc112]

Originally posted by: ELopes580
6800

 

[mmx]

just bought a 6800

 

[Cdubneeddeal]

Originally posted by: mmx
just bought a 6800

Microcenter?

 

[jvarszegi]

I'd get a 6600GT unless you get an awesome deal on a 6800. You can pick up a 6600GT for about $170 if you look, and the middling performance increase of a 6800 isn't worth the extra money.

Basically, if you can jump from $170-180 to $300, you can go the whole hog and get a 6800GT for $400, wouldn't you say? The 6800 is in a value saddle in the middle of the other cards.

 

[imported_alex007]

actually the 6600GT (AGP version!!), is not the same price as the pcie, the 6600Gt pci-e is about $220.


Im soon getting the BFG6800OC, and when i do i will try to unlock the extra pipelines and the vertex sahder making it basically a 6800GT (except for the memory clock speed "the bfg has 700mhz" , while the "6800GT has a memory clock of 1000mhz)

(and i hope yout talking about AGP)

 

[Insomniak]

6600GT. The 6800 has very little performance advantage, certainly not $80-$100 worth.

 

[imported_alex007]

but if you unlick the extar pipelines it will

 

[Darth Farter]

^ but still the 6800's memory is bottlenecked by the slower RAM (even though it has double the bandwith compared to the 6600GT). so an overclocked easily reaches 6800speeds in 1280/1024 for a much lower price.

besides, pipe unlocking is still a gamble and you may not be lucky...

 

[Quino]

Actually you would be surprized of how close an unlocked 6800 is from the 6800gt. I had a PNY 6800NU softmoded and in Doom3 at 1600*1200 high quality I was getting 42 fps. With the 6800gt I get 44.9 fps and when I oc the gt to ultra I get 50.4 fps. The 6800NU was oc to 379/849, so not only the 6600gt can be oc However, the unlocking of pipes is a gamble but I still would take the 6800nu over the 6600gt Forgot to add that the extra memory only really kiked in when AA and AF wher used

 

[mmx]

I got the xfg 6800 for $270 on newegg, because of its twin DVI connectors.

 

[Buriash]

are you able to softmod the 6800nu pci-e cards also to get near 6800gt performance?

 

[dfloyd]

To me the choice was not a easy one, made even harder by the fact that you are considering a PCI Express model as the PCI-E 6600GT is pretty low priced when compared to the 6800. I was purchasing AGP so it was easier for me as the AGP 6600 is closer to the 6800. I chose the 6800 because of the 256 bit path, the better performance, and the chance to unlock it, plus I wanted to go longer without having to upgrade again.

Also I was sucessful with unlocking the extra pipelines and the extra shaders. So now my card is 16 Pipes 6 Shaders and it runs perfect. Of course even if I had not I would of still been happy.

If you do go with the 6800 dont count on it unlocking though as I think its close to a 50/50 chance (Well I hear 60% are sucessful). If you do purchase one, purchase it for what it is and you may get lucky and get something better, but again dont purchase it expecting it to unlock as you may be disappointed.

 

[Buriash]

Thanks for the reply, pretty new to this whole soft modding thing, but ill read more into that else where before i ask questions. So you cant always unlock the pipes, i get that but all i have ever heard about unlocking them is on agp cards is it even possible to unlock them on the pci-e cards?

 

[Buriash]

anyone?

 

[dfloyd]

I wish I could tell you something friend. I honestly have not read anything or heard of anyone with the PCI-E model. Might be a good idea to change the title of this though to Can a 6800 PCI-E be Unlocked?

Good luck with your search friend.

 

[Darth Farter]

don't know for sure... but if it is the same core (nv40 or was it nv45?? ) it could.
it's possible to check it with rivatuner if you own it and see if it has them locked.